Carrier selection for device-to-device measurements

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a method in a wireless device configured to use a first cell for wireless access network (WAN) operation comprises receiving, from a network node, an identification of a second cell that the wireless device may use for device-to-device (D2D) operation. The wireless device determines a reference cell associated with an uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell. The method further comprises measuring a downlink reference signal of the reference cell, and performing one or more tasks related to D2D communication on the uplink carrier based on the measurement of the downlink reference signal.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method in a wireless device configured to use a first cell for wireless access network (WAN) operation, the method comprising:
 receiving, from the network node, an identification of a second cell that the wireless device may use for device-to-device (D2D) operation; 
 determining, a reference cell associated with an uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell, wherein determining the reference cell comprises determining an identification of the reference cell based on a pre-defined rule; 
 measuring a downlink reference signal of the reference cell; and 
 performing one or more tasks related to D2D communication on the uplink carrier based on the measurement of the downlink reference signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the reference cell comprises receiving, from the network node, an identification of the reference cell. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the identification of the reference cell comprises an identification of one of the first cell and the second cell. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the identification of the reference cell based on the pre-defined rule comprises:
 determining the second cell does not include a downlink reference signal; 
 determining a carrier of the first cell belongs to the same frequency band as the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell; and 
 identifying the first cell. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the identification of the reference cell based on the pre-defined rule comprises:
 determining the second cell does not include a downlink reference signal; 
 determining the first cell comprises a carrier aggregation primary cell; 
 determining the wireless device is associated with a third cell, the third cell comprising a carrier aggregation secondary cell; 
 determining that a carrier of one of the first cell or the second cell belongs to the same frequency band as the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell; and 
 identifying the second cell. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein determining that a carrier belongs to the same frequency band as the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell comprises determining the carrier belongs to a frequency band within a pre-defined range of the frequency band of the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying an offset to the measurement of the downlink reference signal. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising receiving the offset from the network node. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising determining the offset based on a pre-defined rule. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining a signal quality of the downlink reference signal is below a threshold. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising disabling power control on the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising modifying a resource allocation mode for the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining another downlink reference signal associated with the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell. 
     
     
       14. A method in a network node, the method comprising:
 communicating, to a wireless device configured to use a first cell for wireless access network (WAN) operation and operable to perform device-to-device (D2D) communication, an identification of a second cell that the wireless device may use for D2D operation; 
 determining, a reference cell associated with an uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell; 
 communicating, to the wireless device, an identification of the reference cell; 
 receiving, an indication that a signal quality of a downlink reference signal is below a threshold; and 
 determining another downlink reference signal associated with an uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell, 
 wherein a downlink reference signal transmitted in the reference cell is measured by the wireless device. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein a task related to D2D communication on the uplink carrier is based on the measurement. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the reference cell is one of the first cell and the second cell. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising communicating, to the wireless device, an offset that the wireless device is to apply to a measurement on a downlink reference signal of the reference cell. 
     
     
       18. A wireless device configured to use a first cell for wireless access network (WAN) operation and comprising a processor operable to:
 receive, from the network node, an identification of a second cell that the wireless device may use for device-to-device (D2D) operation; 
 determine a reference cell associated with an uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell, wherein the processor operable to determine the reference cell is operable to determine an identification of the reference cell based on a pre-defined rule; 
 measure a downlink reference signal of the reference cell; and 
 perform one or more tasks related to D2D communication on the uplink carrier based on the measurement of the downlink reference signal. 
 
     
     
       19. The wireless device of  claim 18 , wherein the processor operable to determine the reference cell is operable to receive, from the network node, an identification of the reference cell. 
     
     
       20. The wireless device of  claim 19 , wherein the identification of the reference cell comprises an identification of one of the first cell and the second cell. 
     
     
       21. The wireless device of  claim 18 , wherein the processor operable to determine the identification of the reference cell based on the pre-defined rule is operable to:
 determine the second cell does not include a downlink reference signal; 
 determine a carrier of the first cell belongs to the same frequency band as the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell; and 
 identify the first cell. 
 
     
     
       22. The wireless device of  claim 18 , wherein the processor operable to determine the identification of the reference cell based on the pre-defined rule is operable to:
 determine the second cell does not include a downlink reference signal; 
 determine the first cell comprises a carrier aggregation primary cell; 
 determine the wireless device is associated with a third cell, the third cell comprising a carrier aggregation secondary cell; 
 determine that a carrier of one of the first cell or the second cell belongs to the same frequency band as the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell; and 
 identify the second cell. 
 
     
     
       23. The wireless device of  claim 21 , wherein the processor operable to determine that a carrier belongs to the same frequency band as the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell is operable to determine the carrier belongs to a frequency band within a pre-defined range of the frequency band of the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell. 
     
     
       24. The wireless device of  claim 18 , the processor further operable to receive the offset from the network node. 
     
     
       25. The wireless device of  claim 24 , the processor further operable to receive the offset from the network node. 
     
     
       26. The wireless device of  claim 24 , the processor further operable to determine the offset based on a pre-defined rule. 
     
     
       27. The wireless device of  claim 18 , the processor further operable to determine that a signal quality of the downlink reference signal is below a threshold. 
     
     
       28. The wireless device of  claim 18 , the processor further operable to disable power control on the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell. 
     
     
       29. The wireless device of  claim 18 , the processor further operable to modify a resource allocation mode for the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell. 
     
     
       30. The wireless device of  claim 18 , the processor further operable to determine another downlink reference signal associated with the uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell. 
     
     
       31. A network node comprising a processor operable to:
 communicate, to a wireless device configured to use a first cell for wireless access network (WAN) operation and operable to perform device-to-device (D2D) communication, an identification of a second cell that the wireless device may use for D2D operation; 
 determine a reference cell associated with an uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell; 
 communicate, to the wireless device, an identification of the reference cell; 
 receive an indication that a signal quality of the downlink reference signal is below a threshold; and 
 determine another reference cell associated with an uplink carrier used for D2D operation in the second cell. 
 
     
     
       32. The network node of  claim 31 , wherein the reference cell is one of the first cell and the second cell. 
     
     
       33. The network node of  claim 31 , the processor further operable to communicate, to the wireless device, an offset that the wireless device is to apply to a measurement on a downlink reference signal of the reference cell.